Beer Nut examines history of Boston brewing

Thursday

May 15, 2014 at 8:06 AMMay 15, 2014 at 5:57 PM

By Kendall HatchDaily News Staff

FRAMINGHAM – Readers usually turn to the Beer Nut column to read the latest news from the beer world – say, new beers from local breweries or breweries from other parts of the country that are expanding their distribution footprint and will soon be available here in Massachusetts.MetroWest Daily News reporter Norman Miller, who pens the Beer Nut column, recently changed tack, however, and shifted his attention backward. His new book, "Boston Beer: A History of Brewing in the Hub," tells the story of Boston's beer history from the Revolutionary War to the craft beer boom and bust of the 1990s to the newest promising young brewery to open up in the city last year.Miller, in an interview this week, said that established Boston breweries like Samuel Adams and Harpoon have held a special place in his heart - and his fridge - since he first developed an appreciation for craft beer in the late 1990s, when he was working at a newspaper in New Hampshire.Miller's book starts off in pre-Revolutionary War Boston, exploring the watering holes where revolutionaries cooked up plans in the fight for independence. From the Revolutionary War, it moves into the 19th Century, when Boston was a hotbed of brewing, at one point having the most breweries per capita of any place in the country.As a writer focusing mostly on contemporary craft beer, Miller said he was surprised by Boston's extensive brewing history."I knew there were breweries in Boston during the 1800s - I didn't realize exactly how many and how big it was," he said. "It was probably one of the bigger industries in Boston and I don't think a lot of people knew that."From there, Miller's book dives into the second coming of Massachusetts brewing - Jim Koch's creation of the Boston Beer Company and Samuel Adams and Harpoon setting up shop shortly thereafter in the Seaport District.Miller also tells the stories of other breweries and brewpubs of the craft beer boom of the 1990s – some still in operation, like Boston Beer Works – and others long gone, like Tremont Brewing Company and Commonwealth Brewing Company.Miller's book paints a picture of what was a vibrant beer-brewing scene, but perhaps one that was ahead of its time. Many of the brewers Miller writes about and interviews are still active and brewing beers that have exploded in popularity in recent years."Some of these breweries, especially the brewpubs, if they started now, compared to back then, they would probably be recognized across the country," Miller said this week. "But just because of the time period it got lost in the shuffle."As the craft beer bubble popped, Tremont Brewery and the smaller brewpubs fell off, while Sam Adams, Harpoon Brewery and Boston Beer Works weathered the storm.Miller brings the story to present day with a chapter on Trillium, the Fort Point-based brewery that opened in 2013 and has been met with instant success, although the owners had to navigate though a tangle of red tape in order to get the place up and running.Miller said this week that Trillium demonstrates both why brewers might be hesitant to set up shop in the city proper, and also shows the rewards of doing so and the demand that exists.Miller said that despite high property costs and an overall lack of space, he thinks a bright future is possible for brewing in Boston.Miller is hosting a pair of book signings this weekend. He will be at Jack's Abby Brewing on Morton Street in Framingham Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and at Julio's Liquors in Westborough from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday for the store's Spring Beerfest. "Boston Beer: A History of Brewing in the Hub" is available on Amazon.com and in local bookstores.Kendall Hatch can be reached at 508-490-7453 or khatch@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @Kendall_HatchMW.